Ranier Maria Rilke challenges you, "...to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers." Rilke's ability to combine the sensual and the spiritual into an inspired vision of the art of living is brought to vivid life in his letters. Through his eyes, the everyday difficulties of love, sex, solitude, sadness, and doubt are seen as the archetypal elements of the drama called life.

4 out of 5 stars

Priceless Recordings of Intense Feeling

By
David
on
10-08-04

"God Speaks to Each of Us"

The Poetry and Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

By:
Thomas Merton

Narrated by:
Thomas Merton

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
5

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
5

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
5

Join Thomas Merton in exploring the timeless words of one of the world's greatest poets, Rainer Maria Rilke. Before entering the monastery, Thomas Merton studied English at Columbia University and taught literature at St. Bonaventure University. His passion for literature never faded, and now you have the rare opportunity to take Thomas Merton as your guide in this set of outstanding remastered lectures on the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke.

5 out of 5 stars

How can you find anything more authentic?

By
Erik Eierud
on
05-22-18

The Waste Land & Four Quartets

By:
T.S. Eliot

Narrated by:
Paul Scofield

Length: 1 hr and 35 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
244

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
187

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
189

These are masterly readings, by renowned thespian Paul Schofield, of two substantial works of poetry by T.S. Eliot.

Rainer Maria Rilke was a giant of twentieth-century writing who remains a rare visionary voice for our own time. This audio edition of Dr. Stephanie Dowrick's acclaimed book allows you literally to "hear" how and why Rilke's extraordinary words continue to captivate readers, not least through his profound understanding of the depth and beauty of human existence.

5 out of 5 stars

Delicately & Nobly Written ....

By
Essam Rajab
on
12-20-15

Rilke

Selected Poems

By:
Rainer Maria Rilke,
Stephen Mitchell

Narrated by:
Stephen Mitchell

Length: 1 hr and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

0 out of 5 stars
0

Performance

0 out of 5 stars
0

Story

0 out of 5 stars
0

Rainer Maria Rilke has been called the most significant and compelling poet of spiritual experience of the 20th century. His exploration of the struggle between life and art and the supremacy of divine love over personal love has touched the hearts of men and women everywhere. The poems in this reading are from the selected poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, edited and translated by Stephen Mitchell. Also featured are new translations made exclusively for this program.

The Poet's Guide to Life

The Wisdom of Rilke

By:
Edited,
Translated by Ulrich Baer

Narrated by:
Ethan Hawke

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Abridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
26

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

Story

4 out of 5 stars
21

In this treasury of uncommon wisdom and spiritual insight, the best writings and personal philosophies of one of the 20th century's greatest poets, Rainer Maria Rilke, are gleaned by Ulrich Baer from thousands of pages of never-before translated correspondence.

5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful - Light - Deep

By
John Campbell
on
03-16-18

Letters to a Young Poet

By:
Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Stephen Mitchell)

Narrated by:
Stephen Mitchell

Length: 1 hr and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
180

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
96

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
97

Ranier Maria Rilke challenges you, "...to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers." Rilke's ability to combine the sensual and the spiritual into an inspired vision of the art of living is brought to vivid life in his letters. Through his eyes, the everyday difficulties of love, sex, solitude, sadness, and doubt are seen as the archetypal elements of the drama called life.

4 out of 5 stars

Priceless Recordings of Intense Feeling

By
David
on
10-08-04

"God Speaks to Each of Us"

The Poetry and Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

By:
Thomas Merton

Narrated by:
Thomas Merton

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
5

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
5

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
5

Join Thomas Merton in exploring the timeless words of one of the world's greatest poets, Rainer Maria Rilke. Before entering the monastery, Thomas Merton studied English at Columbia University and taught literature at St. Bonaventure University. His passion for literature never faded, and now you have the rare opportunity to take Thomas Merton as your guide in this set of outstanding remastered lectures on the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke.

5 out of 5 stars

How can you find anything more authentic?

By
Erik Eierud
on
05-22-18

The Waste Land & Four Quartets

By:
T.S. Eliot

Narrated by:
Paul Scofield

Length: 1 hr and 35 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
244

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
187

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
189

These are masterly readings, by renowned thespian Paul Schofield, of two substantial works of poetry by T.S. Eliot.

Rainer Maria Rilke was a giant of twentieth-century writing who remains a rare visionary voice for our own time. This audio edition of Dr. Stephanie Dowrick's acclaimed book allows you literally to "hear" how and why Rilke's extraordinary words continue to captivate readers, not least through his profound understanding of the depth and beauty of human existence.

5 out of 5 stars

Delicately & Nobly Written ....

By
Essam Rajab
on
12-20-15

Rilke

Selected Poems

By:
Rainer Maria Rilke,
Stephen Mitchell

Narrated by:
Stephen Mitchell

Length: 1 hr and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

0 out of 5 stars
0

Performance

0 out of 5 stars
0

Story

0 out of 5 stars
0

Rainer Maria Rilke has been called the most significant and compelling poet of spiritual experience of the 20th century. His exploration of the struggle between life and art and the supremacy of divine love over personal love has touched the hearts of men and women everywhere. The poems in this reading are from the selected poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, edited and translated by Stephen Mitchell. Also featured are new translations made exclusively for this program.

The Poet's Guide to Life

The Wisdom of Rilke

By:
Edited,
Translated by Ulrich Baer

Narrated by:
Ethan Hawke

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Abridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
26

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

Story

4 out of 5 stars
21

In this treasury of uncommon wisdom and spiritual insight, the best writings and personal philosophies of one of the 20th century's greatest poets, Rainer Maria Rilke, are gleaned by Ulrich Baer from thousands of pages of never-before translated correspondence.

5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful - Light - Deep

By
John Campbell
on
03-16-18

Leaves of Grass

By:
Walt Whitman

Narrated by:
Robin Field

Length: 18 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
148

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
98

Story

4 out of 5 stars
101

One of the great innovators in American letters, Walt Whitman created a daringly new kind of poetry that became a major force in world literature.
Leaves of Grass is his masterpiece, written in a pure, uninhibited style, combining sensual and mystical sensibilities. Its bold, joyous voice, its expansive optimism, and its transcendental vision made it uniquely American.

4 out of 5 stars

No chapters! Can't skip to a particular poem :(

By
April Antoniou
on
02-08-13

Letters to a Young Poet

By:
Rainer Maria Rilke,
Charlie Louth - translator

Narrated by:
Dan Stevens,
Max Deacon

Length: 1 hr and 51 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
38

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
34

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
34

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, read by Max Deacon and Dan Stevens. At the start of the 20th century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself; these profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for writers and artists of all kinds.

It can be said of very few books that the world was changed as a result of its publication - but this is certainly the case of Capital: A Critique of Political Economy by Karl Marx (1818-1883). Volume 1 appeared (in German) in 1867, and the two subsequent volumes appeared at later dates after the author's death - completed from extensive notes left by Marx himself.

At the start of the 20th century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for generations of writers and artists of all kinds, including Lady Gaga and Patti Smith. With honesty, elegance, and a deep understanding of the loneliness that often comes with being an artist, Rilke's letters are an endless source of inspiration and comfort.

5 out of 5 stars

An exquisite and refreshing literary work

By
Shopaholic
on
06-24-17

The Book of Job

By:
Stephen Mitchell (Translated by)

Narrated by:
Peter Coyote

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
111

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
83

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
86

Perhaps no other Biblical tale penetrates so deeply into the everyday travails of the common person as
The Book of Job. It tells the story of a righteous man beset by torment and misfortune through no fault of his own. This parable of bad things happening to a good person addresses the eternal question of why we are here, and why we suffer. This translation is by Stephen Mitchell.

5 out of 5 stars

Phenominal !!!

By
Kirill
on
08-10-04

Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon

Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda

By:
Pablo Neruda,
Stephen Mitchell (translator)

Narrated by:
Stephen Mitchell

Length: 1 hr and 43 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

5 out of 5 stars
9

Mitchell, widely known for his original and definitive translations of spiritual writings and poetry, has taken the work of Neruda (1904-1973), whose poems are passionate, humorous, and exceptionally accessible, and brought them to life for a whole new generation of listeners. Mitchell has selected nearly 50 poems for this collection, which focuses on Neruda's mature period, beginning with
Elemental Odes, published when he was 50 years old, and ending with
Full Powers, published when he was 58.

5 out of 5 stars

Odes to the Mundane, etc.

By
Darwin8u
on
04-24-17

The Essential Dogen

Writings of the Great Zen Master

By:
Peter Levitt (editor),
Kazuaki Tanahashi (editor)

Narrated by:
Brian Nishii

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
326

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
282

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
282

This is the first book to offer the great master's incisive wisdom in short selections taken from the whole range of his voluminous works. The pithy and powerful readings, arranged according to theme, provide a perfect introduction to Dogen - and inspire spiritual practice in people of all traditions.

5 out of 5 stars

One of Buddhism's most influential teachers.

By
Tom Phillpotts
on
08-21-15

The World as Will And Idea, Volume 1

By:
Arthur Schopenhauer

Narrated by:
Leighton Pugh

Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
30

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
29

Story

5 out of 5 stars
28

Schopenhauer was just 30 when his magnum opus,
Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung, a work of considerable learning and innovation of thought, first appeared in 1818.

Much to his chagrin and puzzlement (so convinced was he of its merits), it didn't have an immediate effect on European philosophy, views and culture. It was only decades later that it was recognised as one of the major intellectual landmarks of the 19th century.

5 out of 5 stars

There is no philosophy without Schopenhauer!!!!!

By
eric carter
on
03-18-17

Tao Te Ching

A New English Version

By:
Lao Tzu,
Stephen Mitchell

Narrated by:
Stephen Mitchell

Length: 1 hr and 43 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,059

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,744

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,731

In 81 brief chapters, Lao Tzu's
Tao Te Ching, or
Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, as well as a serene and generous spirit. It teaches us how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao: the basic principle of the universe.

3 out of 5 stars

Please remove the ridiculous ad at the end

By
Michael
on
02-20-15

Thomas Merton on the 12 Degrees of Humility

By:
Thomas Merton

Narrated by:
Thomas Merton

Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
18

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
16

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
16

You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.

3 out of 5 stars

Good subject weak delivery

By
Todd
on
05-08-18

Letters to a Young Poet

By:
Rainer Maria Rilke

Narrated by:
Soren Filipski

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
25

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

When a young student at a military academy mails some of his poetry to the great poet Rainer Maria Rilke, seeking advice, he initiates years of correspondence, during which Rilke expresses his most personal insights into the artist's relationship with life, the interior needs of the individual growing towards maturity, and how the impulse to artistic creation can and should be a source of abiding and developing happiness even for those who cannot become artists.

The Great Poets: Gerard Manley Hopkins

By:
Gerard Manley Hopkins

Narrated by:
Jeremy Northam

Length: 1 hr and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
33

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
26

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
25

A collection of the best-known poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889). One of the Victorian era's greatest writers, Hopkins' reputation has continued to grow since his death. This collection includes "The Windhover", "The Caged Skylark", "Carrion Comfort", "Spring", and "Fall and Inversnaid".

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent encounter with the poet.

By
Robert
on
03-12-12

Publisher's Summary

The poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke addresses the issues of God, death, and "destructive time." Rilke tries to transform these problems into an inner world, what he calls "a whole inner world as if an angel, comprehending all space, were blind and looking into himself." Eminent author and translator Stephen Mitchell brings these ideas vividly to life in this new translation of Rilke's most transcendent works.

Story

warning: listen before buying

I wish I had! The narrator gives a simpering, anemic reading of one of the most vital, compelling works in all of literature, as if trying to be the very apotheosis of an effete sensitive Victorian poet. Maybe Rilke intended his work to be read in this way, but I doubt it. Its more like a parody, and an unlistenable one at that. What a waste!

Numbing Reading of a Great Poet

Stephen Mitchell, wherever his translations of Rilke may rank (undetermined except from local publicity and reviews), displays no scintilla of talent in the oral rendering of either the Duino Elegies or the Sonnets to Orpheus. HIs nasal monotone fails to distinguish cadence and inflection or tone and timbre in nearly two hours of droning through the rich variation of expression in the poems, ranging from anguish to exuberance in modes that veer from the discursive and conversational to the lyrical and ecstatic. Mitchell flattens it all in a voice that, if you walk a bit away from the output, increasingly begins to resemble a table fan or mosquito in its unbroken whine.

While it is regrettable that so bland an effort has the corner on this one work, it is perhaps refreshing to be sent back to a silent reading of Rilke’s written text to discover the vivid dimensions that the poetry's inherent power invariably creates on its own.

Missing material

Mitchell's translations are haunting and evocative, and while the recording quality leaves something to be desired, the sound is not as poor here as it is on some other Mitchell recordings.

My main complaint is that this audiobook omits the author's Foreword (where much of Mitchell's contributions are) and one of the Sonnets to Orpheus (XVI of the First Part). While some readers might care to hear only the poems themselves without any of the biographical context or notes on translation method on the Foreword, it seems that anyone who ordered this book would want to hear all of the poems in their entirety. Here's hoping it is rerecorded and rereleased in greater fullness.